


Five Times Rafael Barba Tried to Peek at His Presents and One Time He Didn’t Have To

by FreckledSkittles



Series: 2019 SVU Advent Calendar [15]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: 5+1 Things, Advent Calendar, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, First Christmas, Lawyer Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr., M/M, Married Barisi, Married Couple, Professor Rafael Barba, Texting, one of my fave tropes tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:22:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21817348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreckledSkittles/pseuds/FreckledSkittles
Summary: Day 15 of Advent Calendar Writing Prompts.Says it in the title. Rafael is a sneak and Sonny is exasperated.
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Series: 2019 SVU Advent Calendar [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1559359
Comments: 17
Kudos: 58





	Five Times Rafael Barba Tried to Peek at His Presents and One Time He Didn’t Have To

**Author's Note:**

> Did I write this in the form of text messages to save myself time? Maybe  
> Did it end up working? Maybe
> 
> I just really love 5+1 fics and soft married Barisi okay it's what they DESERVED
> 
> For reference: they get together, like they SHOULD HAVE, between seasons 17 and 18; they get married in s20, just in time for ADA Carisi; Barba left the DA's office because of the stress of the job (and SHOCKER he did it without k wording a baby! wow!!!) and became a law professor at Columbia and he is so proud of his ADA husband okay let them have this
> 
> I used four separate Tumblr posts to find prompts for this event. The prompt for this story is: I was trying to peek at what my presents were, but you caught me AU. You can find the prompt [here](https://propertyofpoeandbucky.tumblr.com/post/153107532231/holiday-prompts-send-me-some).

_Just got home! You still grading papers?_

_Unfortunately. I have two more and then I’ll be home. I assume you have presents for me?_

_I plead the fifth._

_That’s a yes._

_No, it’s asserting my Fifth Amendment right_

_Mm. Hide them good this time. Just because I snoop doesn’t mean I actually want to find my gifts._

_Oh yeah, I see you already started your snooping_

_???_

**_Image._ ** _The shoe rack in the closet didn’t always look like that_

_Well, now I need to plead the fifth._

_Oh wow, how funny, it’s like I just did the same thing. Also, if you don’t want to find your gifts, why the hell would you go snooping in the first place?_

_To find them and know they exist. To keep you on your toes. The usual._

_I must be so lucky to have a husband like you_

_Love you, my dear._

_Love you_ 🥰 _I’m gonna heat up some tort for dinner, you want me to save you any?_

_Only if you call it tortellini and stop shortening it._

_If that’s what it takes. Get to grading, Professor_ 😘

* * *

_Someone tipped me off that you’re keeping Christmas gifts in your office. As someone who knows that place inside and out, you should change that._

_Amanda?_

_I mean, that’s not to say I haven’t done it to you, but I was a bit more subtle and didn’t talk about it._

_Carmen?_

_I hope that’s not where you’re keeping all of your gifts. That’d be a travesty._

_Don’t you have classes to teach?_

_It’s finals season, cariño. I’m done for the semester._

_Well, court just adjourned for the day, so you have five minutes to quit it before I arrest you for tampering with evidence_

_Evidence of what?_

_My love._

_For that, I’ll take the risk._

* * *

_So the Christmas tree is missing a few ornaments._

_Funny. Allie must have gotten to it again._

_Suuuure. And she kept the ribbons on them this time, because you would never sneak around at night looking for your presents and bump into the tree on your way back to bed._

_Pleading the fifth._

* * *

_My lovely Carisi siblings,  
_ _Your favorite brother-in-law is in dire need of some knowledge. I do not want to know what the gifts my wonderful husband, and your wonderful brother, has gotten me. I simply want to know where they are. If you know anything, please, share it with me so I have something to occupy my time while classes are out.  
_ _Yours truly,  
_ _Rafael_

 **_Bella_ ** _: aww raf! even if you are my favorite and only brother-in-law, i cant tell you anything_

_Don’t tell me he got to you._

**_Gina_ ** _: yep he already told us you were trying to find out what he got you_

_Damn. It was worth a try._

**_Bella_** _: i mean if we know sonny he probably hid it in a place you would never go so_ 🤷🏼♀️

 **_Teresa_ ** _: Try his work wife! That’s where I’d put it._

 **_Gina_ ** _: good one, T! i second that!_

_Have I ever told you three how much I love you?_

* * *

_I heard you got baby vomit on your favorite sweater._

_I don’t want to talk about it._

_You know, you could have just asked Amanda. She would have told you if the gifts were in her apartment. Could have saved you a stain. Or, even better, you could have asked me. Your husband._

_Are they in there?_

_No._

_Fuck._

* * *

Rafael gets home early from helping the Carisi sisters with their Christmas shopping for Sonny and nearly trips over himself when he sees Sonny, at their dining table, in the middle of wrapping a present that is obviously for Rafael. Unless he got someone else a light purple sweater and a tie in a darker shade to match. Or a box of caramel imported from that little chocolate shop in Austria they had passed through on their honeymoon. Or the koala figurine that was sitting beside three other gifts, one of which suspiciously looked like the messenger bag he had been eyeing in the university bookstore.

“Fuck,” Sonny exclaims as Rafael quickly turns around and presses his hands against the door. “Fuck, fuck!”

“I didn’t see anything,” Rafael tries to assure him, but the grin in his voice says otherwise. He can’t help it—his heart is hammering, his blood is pumping, his excitement is bursting from his fingertips. “I’ll wipe my memory. I never saw a thing.”

Sonny lets out a sigh, and Rafael turns around to find his husband slumped in his chair, all of the gifts back in their bag except the clothes he was wrapping. “No, you didn’t. I thought you’d be out for longer.”

“I thought so too. Your sisters picked out good gifts this year.” He leans down and pecks Sonny’s cheek. “I’m sorry.”

Sonny leans into the kiss, eyes shut and breath evening out. “I am too. I knew I should have taken them out one by one.” He pushes the wrapping paper away and grabs Rafael’s arms tightly, squeezing desperately. “Dammit. Fuck.”

“If it makes you feel any better, I never would have guessed any of these.”

“It doesn’t, but thank you.”

Rafael kisses his cheek, this time reaching around so he can guide their lips together and slowly ease him back to leveled ground. “I hope you don’t think I wanted this to happen.”

“Well, you were extra nosy this year.”

Rafael pouts, ignoring the amused sound Sonny makes. “It’s our first Christmas as a married couple. “I only did it for the tradition and the joke. I never wanted to find out my presents. Besides, even though I did, it doesn’t change what I think.” He smiles at Sonny and cups his face gently, admiring the way his hand fits so nicely along his cheek, how easy Sonny sighs and leans into it, eyes fluttering shut in pleasure. “I have my Christmas gift right here with me.”

Sonny smiles, opening his eyes slowly, and pecks the tip of Rafael’s nose. “You say that every year.”

“I mean it every year. The only thing I ever want is you.”

“Mm.” Butterfly kisses, on his cheek, his chin, his lips. “You’re getting sappy in your old age.”

“Jerk.” Rafael pinches him playfully. “I take it all back. In fact, I’d like a divorce.”

“Are you gonna make Rita choose which one of us is worth defending?”

“Maybe.” Runs a hand through his hair, gets lost in swirls of blue for a moment. “I think I know who she’d go for, though.”

“I mean, I’m her favorite.” Sonny laughs and kisses his pout away. Loving this man comes so easily to him, Rafael is amazed every single day. All the years of struggling with romantic relationships, whether it was to find a partner or to find the right one, were all worth it when they bring him to Sonny Carisi. Or, rather, Sonny Barba-Carisi now.

“How about I make it up to you?” Rafael offers. He stands up straight and tangles his fingers in Sonny’s hair. His husband mewls quietly at the affection, leaning into it in a silent invitation for more. “How about I go out to buy some ingredients for dinner? Some pimento olives, some green pepper, some beef—”

“ _Picadillo_?” Sonny asks, perking up in his chair and rotating so fast that his legs nearly knock Rafael down. He laughs as Sonny grabs his hands and squeezes. “That sounds delicious.”

“I can get some tortillas too, for your lunches.”

Sonny pecks the tops of his hands and smiles up at him, bright and brimming with glee. “I’m hungry just thinking about it.”

It takes Rafael a few minutes to leave the apartment, on account of the kisses he shares with his husband and the easy slide he makes to sit in his lap and steal as much of his breath as he can. Speckled in with a few apologies and tight hugs to emphasize his guilt, it’s worth the delay. Sonny will still be home when he gets back. They’ll have dinner, prepare Sonny’s lunch for the next day, and cuddle on the couch, ever supportive and ever loving.

**Author's Note:**

> Is it canon that Rafael saved Sonny's name in his phone as "Sonny 💛" because Sonny is a sunny sweet boy who makes him s o f t and he did it with COMPLETE SECRECY that it's only by pure coincidence that Sonny finds out about it?  
> And is it also canon that Sonny has Rafael's name saved as "Raf 🥰🥰🥰" because every time he sees him Sonny goes "😍😍😍" and goes soft like "🥺🥺🥺"
> 
> Tomorrow, we're back on track for the days! We got some fun Rollmaro that I've been excited to write since I saw the prompt...


End file.
